The invention relates to a connection device for use in the negative pressure therapy of wounds
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
In the recent past, the negative pressure treatment of wounds, in particular of problematically healing wounds has gained increasing importance. Negative pressure treatment means that a body or wound area which is exposed to the surrounding atmosphere is sealed pressure tight or negative pressure tight against the environment i.e., the atmosphere in which we live and breathe, in a manner that will be described later, wherein a pressure which is lower relative to the atmospheric pressure, i.e., negative pressure can be applied and permanently maintained within the sealed wound region in a manner which is also to be explained below. Negative pressure in the context of the field at issue here, relates to a negative pressure of typically between 0 and 250 mmHg (mm mercury column) below the surrounding atmospheric pressure. This has been shown to facilitate wound healing. For the negative pressure tight sealing, a negative pressure bandage is provided, which for example can include a pressure tight—or negative pressure tight film layer, which is typically adhesively attached to an uninjured body region that surrounds the wound to achieve a tight sealing. In order to apply and maintain a negative pressure to the wound space based on a negative pressure generating device, i.e., a vacuum pump in the broadest sense, conduit to which negative pressure can be applied can be used in the systems for negative pressure therapy at issue here, which conduit interact with the negative pressure bandage in order to apply negative pressure to or into the wound space.
From unpublished DE 10 2011 082 341.7 a connection device of the generic type is known in which, for carrying out a so-called instill therapy, a fluid delivery line extends through the coupling body and protrudes into the wound space so that media that contain active agents can be delivered into the wound space. The passage of the fluid delivery line through the coupling body is associated with cost intensive manufacturing measures.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved connection device so that when applying a negative pressure therapy to wounds, the connection device can at the same time be used for delivering media into the wound space, in particular media that contain active agents, be manufactured in a simple and economical manner and is reliable during use.